New Zealand is now into the third season with Giant Willow Aphid (GWA) and the New Zealand Poplar and Willow Research Trust have field experiments in place to help evaluate the effect of GWA in New Zealand.

GWA colonises both tree and non-tree willows (shrub and osier) with the rate of colony growth differing between willow species.

Any information on which willow(s) are affected, age of affected trees, potential stressors on the affected willows and impacts such as reduced growth or yellowing or dropping leaves, helps add to the understanding of the impacts of this pest across the country.

Reporting of any situations where insecticide spraying has improved willow health is also useful.

Populations are now on the rise with a few cases of GWA recently reported from kiwifruit orchards in the Nelson region.

Growers are asked to look out for GWA and contact Sylvia Warren at Zespri if they are seeing this pest in their orchards – email sylvia.warren@zespri.com.

KVH staff recently visited Gisborne and Hawkes Bay orchards that were confirmed Psa-V positive for the first time through spring 2015.

Since 1 August 2015 an additional 14 orchards from Gisborne and five from Hawkes Bay have tested Psa-V positive.

Blocks showing symptoms last year were also revisited to understand the challenges growers had faced over the past six months.

Cold, wet spring conditions and in particular, damaging southerly winds, were considered the most likely drivers of new infections within the regions.

Growers converting from Hort16A to Gold3 with colder sites or more severely infected stumps, experienced difficulty achieving high winter graft success (pictured above). Re-grafting continued through summer and multiple grafts to the same stump and/or suckers have been completed.

Poor synchronisation of male and female flowers in some Gold3 blocks have been a concern, particularly for Gisborne growers. The need to stock pollen for artificial pollination and the importance of good male management was discussed. Male grafts on Bounty rootstock, autumn trunk-girdling of males to bring flowering forward and male management to provide a range of cane types to spread flowering timing, were all strategies thought worthy of trialling.

Two growers with young Gold3 blocks that suffered up to 20% canopy cut-out due to Psa-V through spring, identified the need to take care when managing strung cane through the autumn period. Both growers believed cane damage, and possibly poor tool hygiene during autumn work led to spring infection.

It was pleasing to see the level of proactive management in place and the high standard of hygiene being enforced by growers in general.

The KVH team also presented autumn Psa-V messages at the Zespri OPC field days, and reminded growers that a more proactive Psa-V management programme in autumn can lead to reduced symptoms in spring.

KVH staff recently attended a workshop, hosted by Honour McCann (Massey University) and Plant & Food Research to observe the development of a new rapid test for Psa that can be done in the field.

The test uses LAMP technology which is being developed for a number of pathogens and has the potential to deliver a diagnostic result within around 30 minutes in the field.

Workshop participants had the opportunity to use the test in the field on a Psa-affected orchard, to see how quickly and easily results could be produced. This test is not yet commercially available and still requires further development. However, it is good insight into tools that may be available to us in the near future. These tools may have applications for biosecurity surveillance and response.

This workshop illustrated one example of a field diagnostic test, the LAMP assay. However, we are aware that there are several other techniques being developed by other organisations in New Zealand and offshore. A group of scientists also visited Te Puke Plant and Food Research Centre this week to test another field deployable Psa field assay system.

More than 50 leaders from Bay of Plenty industries and organisations came together this morning with the Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, and Minister of Trade, Todd McClay, to celebrate the official launch of ‘biosecurity operational excellence’ at Port of Tauranga (POTL).

Guests were given an overview of the initiative and gained a good insight into the innovative ways Bay of Plenty industries and government are working together to better understand biosecurity risk at Port of Tauranga and to raise awareness amongst the Port community.

The group also observed the passenger biosecurity screening process of incoming cruise ship ‘The Arcadia’ where detector dog Ayla went to work sniffing out food risk items from more than 2000 disembarking passengers. The Arcadia arrived from Tahiti and Tauranga was its first port of call.

The project, which started as an exercise to better understand biosecurity risks at POTL, has a working group made up of committed Bay of Plenty sectors. They are:

Port of Tauranga Limited

Kiwifruit Vine Health

Ministry for Primary Industries

New Zealand Customs

Forest Owners Association

Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Fonterra, on behalf of the dairy sector

NZ Avocados

The programme is tailored to organisms and particular imported goods and pathways relevant to the Bay of Plenty. However, the vision has always been to develop this approach as a national model.

Biosecurity News

25 February 2016

MPI launches new inflight biosecurity video

25 February 2016

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has released a new biosecurity inflight video that plays on arriving international flights before landing in New Zealand.
To engage passengers, the video...

The latest issue includes: information about the Zika virus and what is in place to reduce the risk of it entering NZ; a new phone App designed for incoming cruise ship passengers to educate them on what to do when entering NZ; how the new border levy has been operating since its introduction on 1 January 2016; celebrating 24 new detector dog teams; and other interesting stats and facts on border security.

Last Sunday the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) confirmed two weeks of trapping, fruit sampling and testing had passed without any further Tau flies being found and the movement restrictions on...

Last Sunday the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) confirmed two weeks of trapping, fruit sampling and testing had passed without any further Tau flies being found and the movement restrictions on fruit and vegetables in the controlled area were subsequently lifted.

While the response operation is now over and New Zealand is officially Tau fly-free, MPI’s routine checks for fruit flies will continue with its nationwide network of 7,600 fruit fly surveillance traps.

Summer is high-risk season for fruit flies and other pests coming into New Zealand, so growers and residents are reminded to be vigilant. Report anything of concern, particularly insects or larvae in fruit, to MPI’s pest and disease hotline – 0800 80 99 66.

The sale of kiwifruit plant material through Trade Me is a known risk of potential movement of diseased material, and one KVH has been monitoring for some time.

KVH has made Trade Me aware of these risks, and as a result they made the decision to place a complete ban on the sale of kiwifruit plant material; so the risk of moving diseased material through this channel is now eliminated. The ban includes the sale of kiwifruit plants, kiwifruit budwood, kiwifruit pollen and kiwifruit firewood.

Trade Me is implementing this action in the coming weeks.

Biosecurity News

11 February 2016

Betaflexiviridae - updated fact sheet

11 February 2016

In September last year KVH distributed a fact sheet through the KVH Bulletin about plant virus Betaflexiviridae being detected in New Zealand kiwifruit vines. There are no symptoms or disease...

In September last year KVH distributed a fact sheet through the KVH Bulletin about plant virus Betaflexiviridae being detected in New Zealand kiwifruit vines. There are no symptoms or disease associated with this virus and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) consider it to be low-to-zero biosecurity risk.

However, there is a possibility that impacts may exist and have not been observed, or may develop in the future. Therefore, as an industry we are taking a precautionary approach to managing Betaflexiviridae and have implemented management practices to further limit distribution of this virus.

This will include Plant and Food Research no longer supplying Bruno seed from their orchards. Nurseries have been informed of this change and we are not expecting plant supply issues as a result.

The KVH Board welcomes Richard Procter as the new Board Secretary from 15 February.

Most recently Richard held the position of Chief Executive of Kiwifruit New Zealand for 10 years, so many will be familiar with Richard and the knowledge of the industry he will bring into his role as Board Secretary.

Richard holds a Masters degree in Commerce, is a qualified Chartered Accountant (retired), and has had an extensive commercial career in accounting, finance, investment banking, business analysis and consultancy.

Richard replaces former Secretary Mike Chapman who resigned late last year following his appointment as Chief Executive of Horticulture New Zealand.

Biosecurity News

11 February 2016

Keep eyes peeled for stink bugs

11 February 2016

It is the height of stink bug season; so growers and residents are reminded to keep an eye out for the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) which can enter New Zealand on inanimate objects like shipping...

It is the height of stink bug season; so growers and residents are reminded to keep an eye out for the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) which can enter New Zealand on inanimate objects like shipping containers, cars and even through objects bought through online channels like E-bay. Travellers returning to New Zealand are also at risk of importing the BMSB in their luggage.

Due to a rise in reporting of suspicious-looking stink bugs, there appears to be a heightened awareness amongst the industry and the general public about the BMSB. Thankfully these cases have been confirmed negative. However, it’s encouraging to know people are doing the right thing and contacting MPI when they find what appears to be a BMSB.

The BMSB is one of kiwifruit’s Most Unwanted – as both a horticultural pest and a public nuisance. Eradication would be extremely difficult if it were to establish here so early detection is essential to keeping it out of New Zealand.

If you think you have seen a BMSB call the MPI Pest and Disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66.